


A Snowy Interlude

by Caisin



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Academia, Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, F/F, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-03
Updated: 2012-01-03
Packaged: 2017-10-28 19:19:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/311329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caisin/pseuds/Caisin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gwen is taking Morgana home for winter holiday and they get stuck in traffic.  Also, snow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Snowy Interlude

**Author's Note:**

  * For [glim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/glim/gifts).



> Written for the Stocking Stuffer fest at glomp_fest on livejournal.

They should have been at Gwen’s house ages ago, but the flurries that began as they left the campus had turned into a bit of a blizzard and traffic had been at a stand still for at least half an hour. Gwen kept one hand sat lazily on the steering wheel, jiggling it idly.

It had been touch and go for a while when they were driving and Morgana had a death grip on both the door and the center console, making Gwen feel uneasy. The car hadn't moved more than a few yards in the last several minutes however, and Morgana finally calmed enough to lace her fingers together with Gwen's free hand as she sang along with the Christmas music playing softly on the radio.

Gwen was certainly enjoying this much more than if she'd been making the journey on her own, even during Morgana’s tenser moments. She loved snow more than most people; she thought it was one of the loveliest things, especially now as it flew past the passenger window and gathered on the hillside beyond, setting her girlfriend's raven hair beautifully against pure white.

Driving in the snow was a completely different matter, and she doubted she'd ever get over the stress it caused her. Having Morgana by her side made it worlds better though, and she finally put on the parking brake when she realized they wouldn't be going anywhere for a while, allowing her to relax a little and enjoy her girlfriend's antics. As Morgana bounced around in her seat in an adorable little dance and belted out a song along with Mariah Carey, hitting the high notes effortlessly, Gwen couldn't help the grin that was beginning to make her face ache or the laughter that slipped out whenever the other woman pulled an especially dramatic face.

She knew they should have left earlier in the morning, when the sky and roads were clear, but they had been out late the night before with Merlin and Arthur, playing in the snow after a week of incredibly stressful exams. She and Merlin had sat in the snow watching their significant others duel with giant icicles and howled with laughter when Morgana began making lightsabre noises. That had caught Arthur off guard and she danced triumphantly around him after she broke his icy sword in half and poked him in his overstuffed anorak-armored stomach. He hadn’t taken kindly to her victory and chased her around until she slipped and fell into the snow next to Gwen, sticking out her arm to bring her girlfriend down with her.

Once their giggles had subsided, Morgana rolled over into undisturbed powder and started making a snow angel. Gwen shifted onto her side to watch her girlfriend play in the snow. This might be the most beautiful Morgana had ever been, even bulky as she was in all her layers, as she smiled in child-like glee, her eyes alight with joy as snowflakes fell on her face, her cheeks flush from rough housing with Arthur, her hair fanning out behind her from under her hat and blowing about her face as it caught in the wind. Gwen believed in that moment that she really was an angel, and as Morgana stopped moving her arms and legs and turned her head to look adoringly at her girlfriend, Gwen couldn’t help but crawl the few feet to kiss her.

Morgana quickly brought her arms around Gwen’s middle to move her girlfriend more fully on top of herself, and they felt themselves sink a little deeper into the snow. Gwen clung to her shoulders with mitten-covered hands and pushed her knee between Morgana’s legs, opening the lower part of her long coat. She opened her eyes and lifted her head as Morgana’s lips parted and her breath hitched in a gasp, and they stilled as the snow swirled around them. Gwen smiled down at Morgana as she panted, her eyes wide and mouth open in a look of surprised pleasure, before she brought their lips crashing back together. Spurred on by the look Morgana had given her, Gwen let her passion overtake her, the kiss becoming rough and desperate. She moved a hand down and groped at Morgana’s breast through the layers of clothing, feeling frustrated at the lack of contact, but Morgana responded quickly, her mouth gasping open under Gwen’s and her back arching up into the touch, trying to get closer. The women had become so lost in their kiss that they’d completely closed out the world around them, even their friends who stood just beyond them, gathering snow.

The moment Gwen felt a dull thump on the back of her head and freezing water drip down her neck, she froze, eliciting a whine from the woman beneath her. She quickly raised her arm at an awkward angle to flip off the boys before she realized that having mittens on made the gesture rather ineffective. Morgana’s yell for them to fuck off, as bits of snow from Gwen’s hair fell onto her face, came as a suitable replacement and their friends snickered as they ran off. Jumping up quickly, Gwen grasped her girlfriend’s hands to help her up, and then they were running after the boys, scooping up handfuls of snow as they went.

The loud, over cheerful sound of her phone ringing brought Gwen out of her memories and Morgana quickly turned off the radio as she dug around for it in her pocket.

“Yeah, Papa?” Gwen answered, turning to smile at Morgana as she did. “We’re on the road. It’s a mess and we’re not moving any time soon, but we’re safe.”

Gwen rolled her eyes and Morgana squeezed her hand tighter, rubbing her thumb comfortingly over her knuckles.

“I realize we should have left sooner, but we weren’t packed yet… Nyet, Papa!” And then the one-sided conversation Morgana could hear was a rush of Russian and pauses, of which she could pick up only a word here and there, even after a term of classes on top of living with Gwen. “Home,” and “20 minutes,” and “we’re fine,” but nothing very useful.

She had gotten used to these kinds of phone calls, when Gwen got flustered with her father or some other family member and suddenly she was off in a different language where Morgana was still struggling to follow her. This rapid Russian was so different than the slow and steady way Gwen spoke to her when helping her with course work, or the sensual way she whispered in her ear, the many words she’d learned when Gwen told her what she wanted as they made love. Still, she enjoyed this as well, took pleasure in this animated and confident side of Gwen that was so different from her rambling English.

Morgana reached her hand up to play with Gwen’s hair as she continued talking to her father, twirling the tight curls around her fingers before letting them bounce away. Then she leaned over the seat to place light kisses along her jaw and ear until Gwen batted her away with her free hand.

"Bye, Papa. I love you, too." Those last words she'd come to know very well over the last few months.

“Everything alright?” Morgana asked as Gwen ended the call and slipped the phone back in her pocket.

“Yeah, he’d just been worrying over us. So, completely normal behavior then.”

Gwen smiled at her reassuringly and brought her hand up to kiss each of her girlfriend’s fingers.

Light suddenly filled the car and both women looked out the windshield to see that it had stopped snowing and the sun was starting to peek through the clouds. Gwen smiled brightly as she took off the parking brake, hoping that it would only be a short time before the road in front of them was cleared and they’d start moving again.

“Are you sure your father won’t mind me being around all winter break?” Morgana asked in earnest, grasping Gwen’s hand again.

“Of course he won’t! We’ve been over this, my father adores you.”

And there was no doubt that Morgana adored Tom as well. After they’d met for the first time, Morgana knew that she’d want to stay State side for the holidays, to get to know all of Gwen’s family, but she’d been afraid to ask, fearing it might be too soon. It was Gwen who asked in the end, as they were making plans with her family for Thanksgiving dinner. Then they decided they’d find a way to get tickets to Ireland for spring break so Gwen could meet Morgana’s family.

“That doesn’t mean he’ll be fine with me sleeping in the same bed as his daughter, under his roof, for three weeks,” Morgana reasoned.

“I’ve talked to him about this five times since we saw him last. Believe me, love, you’ll be fine,” Gwen said, certainly not for the first time, but she hoped the last.

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

Gwen looked up ahead in the traffic, squinting as the bright sunlight reflected off the cars. “Oh, it looks like we’re finally moving! We’ll be home in no time.”

This time it was Morgana’s smile that lit up the car as she looked lovingly at her girlfriend.


End file.
